T 1.10-1.14 Flashcards

1
Q

Tectonic context of the Philippines

A
  • situated on complex multiple player boundary in ring of fire
  • 2 major destructive margins joined by conservative margin
  • has 37 volcanoes with 18 active ones
  • 12 destructive earthquakes recorded in last 40 years
  • eastern and northern coasts face the Pacific Ocean
  • events can leave steep rugged slopes and poor vegetation
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2
Q

Hydro-meteorological context of Philippines

A
  • tropical monsoonal climate brings rain bearing winds
  • lies within SE Asia’s typhoon belt
  • average of 20 typhoons hit the country, 7-10 expected to be destructive
  • high risk of storm surges, floods and landslides
  • El Niño brings periodic drought like in 1998
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3
Q

Development context of Philippines

A
  • rapidly developing lower middle income country with large population (101 million with 1.72% annual growth)
  • rapid urbanisation has led to large unplanned informal settlements and high pop. densities
  • 25% of population live in poverty
  • 50% of rural population like in poverty
  • high levels of deforestation and widespread corruption
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4
Q

Facts and figures about Philippines country

A
  • ranked 3rd in world risk index 2016
  • eight the ten most risky cities from natural hazards in here
  • 74% of population exposed to two or more hazards
  • called a multiple hazard zone
  • 555 major hazard events experienced between 1960-2015
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5
Q

Negative impacts of previous hazard events in Philippines

A
  • tectonic events leave steep slopes, rugged land and poor vegetation cover
  • extreme weather events/ heavy rainfall, eg La Niña saturate the soil and trigger mud/landslides particularly if the vegetation has been removed
  • heavy rain with volcanic ash, creating large lahars that kill lellle eg, typhoon Yüna in 1991
  • eruptions release water and the plume creates static charges that creates lighting and thunderstorms
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6
Q

What happened in 1991 in the Philippines?

A
  • mount pinatubo and typhoo Yüna
  • June 15th 1991, second largest eruption of 20th century (VEI 6) generated large pyroclastic flows and clouds of volcanic ash
  • event coincided with typhoon Yüna with winds of up to 120mph
  • rainfall mixed with volcanic ash = devastating lahars that swept through towns
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7
Q

Stats of 1991 disaster Philippines

A
  • 847 reported to have died
  • 73k houses damaged by heavy wet ash
  • economic impact estimated at 211 million
  • powerful eruption ejected significant quantities of aerosols and dust into the stratosphere
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8
Q

What happened in 2006 in the Philippines?

A
  • Mount Mahon and typhoon Durian
  • active strati volcano erupts frequently (50+ in past 500)
  • activity and perfect shape is major tourist attraction
  • quiet and effusive eruptions throughout 2006
  • typhoon Durian caressed volcanoes path in November
  • rainfall, flooding, mudflows and lahars
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9
Q

Stats of 2006 Philippines disaster

A
  • 457mm rainfall = flooding in legazpi city (main port)

- Rainfall mixed with ash debris an debris to create mudflows and lahars that buried farms and villages, killing 1250+

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10
Q

Catania facts and figures

A
  • east coast of Sicily on the base of mount Etna
  • last major eruption in 2006
  • benefits from fertile soils and vineyards
  • airspace impact can close Catania airport
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11
Q

physical factors that affect resppmse

A
  • geographical accessibility of location
  • type of hazard (scale, impact magnitude, frequency)
  • topography of the region
  • climate
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12
Q

Human factors that affect response

A
  • number of people involved
  • degree of community preparedness
  • technological resources
  • education and training
  • infrastructure
  • economic wealth
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13
Q

Why does Sicily struggle to cope?

A
  • each eruption is difficult - crust fracture points in different places, lava viscosity and gas eruptions vary considerably
  • unexpected timings of minor eruptions
  • computer modelling only as good as data that goes in
  • municipality of government - politics of deciding who has responsibility
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14
Q

Vulnerable infrastructure in Sicily

A
  • sapienza ski refuge with cable car and ski lifts, together with northern ski resort
  • the round etna railway
  • Catania airport
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15
Q

Vulnerable communities in Sicily

A
  • rural - vineyards, olive groves, Mediterranean agriculture on rich volcanic soil
  • main roads around the edge of the island to Palermo and Messina docks
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16
Q

Summer tourism in Sicily

A
  • ash, like cement is water proof so very difficult to remove
  • built Earth barriers/ explosives to disrupt and redirect lava
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17
Q

National governance in Sicily

A
  • financial assistance from the Italian government is often needed - perhaps 5-6 million to account for losses in tourism and agriculture
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18
Q

Scientists in Sicily

A

Use a multi component gas analyser system

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19
Q

Regional politics in Sicily

A
  • 10 municipalities meet at one point, making it extremely difficult to decide who is responsible for what
20
Q

What does the hazard management cycle consist of?

A

Preparation
Response
Recovery
Mitigation

21
Q

What’s preparation?

A
  • strategies that focus on ensuring that emergency services and people at risk are aware of how to react during an event, occurs after the hazard response
22
Q

What’s response stage?

A

Focused on the immediate needs of the population, such as the protection of life and property and includes firefighting, emergency services, evacuation, etc

23
Q

What is the recovery stage?

A
  • recovery is the equivalent to long term responses and is where the city authorities focus on clean up and rebuilding, can take months or even years
24
Q

What’s the mitigation stage?

A
  • involves authorities looking at the impact of the hazard and rebuilding in a better way to reduce similar impacts from a future hazard
25
Q

describe the Himalayas

A
  • Tethys ocean between India and Asia close 50 million years ago(was subducted)
  • fold mountains thrust upwards with continental collision - collision boundary
  • continue to be uplifted at rate of roughly 2cm a year
26
Q

what are L waves?

A

Love waves:

  • slowest but most destructive wave only move at surface
  • they have the largest amplitude and shake the ground from side to side as wave travels forward
27
Q

what are P waves?

A

Primary waves

  • have a shirt wavelength and travel fast through both solid rock and liquid
  • waves push and pull in the direction of travel to create compressional and extensional zones
28
Q

what are S waves?

A
  • longer wavelength and movement is perpendicular to direction of travel
  • slower than P waves and only moves through solid rock - not liquid!
29
Q

Effects of wave:

A
tsunamis
landslides
liquefaction
aftershocks 
fires (ruptured gas/electricity lines)
spread of disease
30
Q

what are the primary effects of a wave?

A

those that happen as a direct result of earthquakes such as:

  • ground shaking
  • crustal fracturing - energy released caused crust to crack and land to be displaced vertically
31
Q

what are the secondary effects of a wave?

A

those that are indirectly caused by earthquakes, often causing much more damage than initial shaking;

  • landslides
  • liquefaction
32
Q

how are landslides caused?

A

shaking places rock slopes under increased stress which could lead to failure

33
Q

how is liquefaction caused?

A

surface rocks lose strength in violent shaking and become more liquid than solid, thus losing its ability to support building foundations and cars

34
Q

what are aftershocks?

A
  • often smaller earthquakes can continue to occur whilst the fault settles down or readjusts to the initial release of strain
  • can significantly hamper response and recovery
  • 5.3 magnitude in Christchurch 2011
35
Q

how to predict earthquake waves?

A
  • very difficult to price accurately, foreshocks are being looked at to provide precursors for a potential earthquake
  • animal behaviour could also be a sign
  • p waves can be useful to trigger early warning systems which aids immediate responses
36
Q

inequalities to access of housing in Nepal

A
  • nepalese share inherited property, so very tall, thin houses are split vertically
  • 5 million people crammed into shoddy concrete buildings, narrow alleys and hillside in he capital Kathmandu
37
Q

inequalities to access of education in Nepal

A
  • access to schools in mountain environment is hard - 6000 schools destroyed
  • illiteracy rates - 71% female, 44% male
38
Q

inequalities to access of healthcare in Nepal:

A
  • close contact causes disease and infection spreading, particularly in shelters.
  • rural areas - hospital is a 3hour walk through mountains
  • medicines require payment
39
Q

inequalities to access of equal income in Nepal:

A
  • caste structure creates division
  • Dalits living in stone/mud houses which collapse due to quake tremors
  • 80% of concrete dwellings, occupied by higher castes state intact
  • more debris reduces food supply (mix and contamination)
40
Q

Nepal earthquake 2015 facts and figures

A
  • 9k dead, 22k injured
  • magnitude 7.8
  • avalanche on Mount Everest kiled 21
  • huge damages to UNESCO world heritage sites
41
Q

Earthquake in Bam description

A
  • 5.26 am
  • cold weather
  • arabian and eurasian plates collided
42
Q

Bam facts and figures

A
  • relatively low magnitude of 6.6
  • 2003
  • 26k+ people died
  • focus depth of only 7km
43
Q

what is governance?

A
  • ability of an organisation or group of people to plan or manage hazard events effectively
  • eg, local governments might organise evacuation strategies
  • national gov might finance emergency care, etc
44
Q

governance factors in Bam

A
  • old mud brick buildings key to tourism (2400 yrs old)
  • Iranian building code had not been effectively reinforced
  • heavy roofs in buildings
  • wooden structures were pre weakened by termite damage
  • 3 main hospitals all destroyed in the EQ
  • infrastructure blocked by rubble - harder to access
45
Q

geographic factors in bam

A
  • bam is isolated - 190km away from nearest town
  • desert environment provides resources for mud houses
  • located on complex tectonic setting, prone to faulting and thrusting of the crust
  • cold winter temperature
  • seismic waves caused significant ground shaking
46
Q

Inequality is not inevitable

A

• The tectonic setting determines the nature of the hazard, e.g. 90% of tsunamis are in the Pacific Ocean
• Governance can reduce vulnerability, e.g. San Francisco has strict building codes
• Education can also reduce vulnerability, e.g. Japan

47
Q

Inequality is inevitable

A

• Some communities are isolated, e.g. Nepal
• Socio-economic characteristics are vital – e.g. quality of housing,
• Not everyone can access education, and governance does not always govern everyone, (structural inequality)
• Older and younger groups will also be medically more vulnerably